Barret pleads 'not guilty' again

Associated Students Inc. Vice President Mike Barrett again has entered a "not guilty" plea at his Superior Court felony arraignment Monday.

Barrett was arrested on charges of rape Aug. 17 and is currently out on bail, serving the first semester in his one-year term here as an A.S.I. official.

Monday's arraignment under Superior Court Judge James Pierce once more informed Barrett of his rights and of the accusations against him.

A pre-trial conference where prosecutors will attempt to plea-bargain with Barrett also was set for Dec. 8. at the Long Beach Municipal Courthouse, Department F, said Ida Thedford, the department clerk.

If plea-bargaining fails, a trial has been scheduled for Jan. 8, Thedford said.

After two postponed preliminary hearings this semester, a third hearing got under way Oct. 30, six weeks after the originally scheduled hearing.

After testimony by the alleged victim at the preliminary hearing, Judge Deborah Andrews of the Long Beach Municipal Courthouse decided there was sufficient evidence against Barrett to warrant a felony arraignment.

Bail was originally set at $100,000, according to Lucianne Khalaf, the prosecuting attorney assigned to Barrett's case. Bail was eventually reduced to $25,000 after arguments by Barrett's attorney, Edward Hall.